


The Queen & The Pauper

by ArisenFromNightmares



Category: Freezing (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, F/M, Family, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-24 02:00:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16171298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArisenFromNightmares/pseuds/ArisenFromNightmares
Summary: What if Satellizer wasn't the only child Howard L. Bridget brought into the fold back then?This is the story of the second son, a power that shouldn't be, and his rise from impoverished street rat, to a charity case, and finally the Reaper of Pandora.





	1. Trial Run

Abel Reinhardt was a young man who believed in paying his debts. It was one of the few thoughts that had kept him going through the harsh trials that were quickly becoming a norm in his seventeen year old life, as he look around the darkened combat area spread out before him he would give a slight chuckle before slipping the plague doctor's mask over his face and giving the thumbs up for the white-coated individuals watching overhead to begin the test.

 _"One last hurdle, then maybe I can finally get to where I need to go."_  The sounds of footsteps would echo throughout the area as the Pandora made their way into the designated combat zone, giving the rose-haired young man little chance of getting an actual hostile count, not that it mattered to him in the long run. After all the months of painful experimentation, agonizing simulation runs against dummy Nova, and the maddening psychological "therapy" sessions, a few more bodies at his feet would be a small price to pay in order to finally come face to face with the girl whose family had saved him from going down the same criminal path that all men in his bloodline had willingly chosen. _"Not gonna even bother using my weapon yet, just gonna trust my-"_

The voices of the Pandora summoning their Volt Weapons would cause him to shudder with anticipation and start grinning underneath the mask, the Pandora were usually never allowed to summon their weapons during the trial unless he were in direct combat with him and even then it was one Pandora at a time.

"Well Shit…"

* * * * *

Watching from the observation room above the stern expression upon the usually visage of Dr. Parcé Ciel would fit her coldly analytical nature, watching the boy whose body carried the fruits of her greatest achievement: she had spent years cultivating Stigmata that would not only allow males to use the same abilities that Pandora to use, but also forego the detriment of having to rely of a Limiter in order to initiate a Freezing area in order to fight at their full prowess. The added strength and speed benefits were enough to counteract whatever usefulness came with the use of an Ereinbar Set, her pet project had already proven this with his successful destruction of her dummy Nova.

"Give me vitals on the test subject please." The mocha-skinned woman would watch on in silence as the young man easily back-stepped an attack from one Pandora's hammer weapon before moving his head just slightly to avoid a barrage of bullets from another's weapon, satisfied that his battle senses were at their peak. "Good to know that the Shrinks are doing their job, personal needs contribute nothing to the success of Project Incubus" Parcé could help but giggle at the sheer lunacy of her project's code name: Incubus, a demon that came to women in their beds and sleep with them and (depending on what version of the legend is being told) would either leave the woman with child, or the woman would eventually waste away from repeated visits from her otherworldly bed-mate.

"All vitals signs are green, stigmata are behaving normally Professor Ciel" The lab tech behind her would speak up before the bloodcurdling screams of a Pandora would drown out anything else he said. "Subject Abel has yet to actually release his weapon, shall I activate Psych Generators?" Parcé would hold up a hand to silence him, watching on as Abel bisected one Pandora with her own broadsword before breaking another's arm and casually walking through the combat area calmly.

"Professor, why does the subject wear that mask during the trials? It's kind of…creepy." A female lab tech would frown as she watched the masked test subject furiously dodging a concerted assault by three Pandora at once, parts of his mask being shredded as he dodged and weaved through their attacks as best he could. "Heart rate increasing slightly."

"He claims it's for intimidation, although most of the girls get quite the chuckle out of it." The amethyst-haired woman would nod while mulling over the scene that was now playing out before her, smiling as Abel grabbed two of the trio by their face and smashed them against the wall violently even as the third slashed him down the back with her Naginata. "Honestly, i doubt they even take the poor lad's antics seriously." She would rub her temples in annoyance as the screams of the fallen Pandora began to grate on her already tensed up nerves.  

"Start sending medics out to retrieve the fallen, inform the remaining Pandora to call for their Limiters. It's time for the training wheels to be taken off, let's see if sweet little Abel has what it takes to live up to his true potential." Ceil would start flipping through the report her various colleagues had compiled for her, stopping at the psychiatrist's notes and smiling wickedly as she read what was written within.

* * * * *

 _"Medical units inbound! I repeat, medic units inbound! Please redirect combat to section A-32!"_  

Abel would throwup his hands helplessly as he began running toward the designated area, it's not like he planned to attack the medics as they scooped up the wounded. "I may be Parcé's guinea pig, but I'm still SOMEWHAT human! Not a beast!" The rose-haired young man would stop running just in time to avoid plowing into a busty, brunette Pandora holding a Mace in her hands and a hint of a smile on her face.

"Well isn't this my lucky day, the professor's pet project nearly falls into my LAP!" Hana Inazuka, a Pandora formerly of West Genetics academy that Parcé Ceil had brought onto the project specifically to test his more…personal attributes. "Today's the day I finally get my ticket  **BACK**  to West Genetics!" She would continue trying to embed the mace into his skull, but the young man would keep backpedaling through the narrow hallway as best he could.

"Hana move!" Her limiter would call out as the two combatants finally stepped out into an open, circular area where the remaining Pandora and their Limiters waited for them. "Time's finally up on your little Cinderella story, you pinkie pie haired sonofova-" The other limiters would initiate their Freezing areas before the loudmouth could finish his taunt, leaving Abel pinned under the weight of no less then five separate Freezing areas. "Geez guys, you couldn't have waited another few seconds? I had a whole bit planned!"

The rose-haired young man would growl quietly, the Freezing effectively halting his movement entirely as the cold-hearted scientist was no doubt watching on to see how he'd react. "What is this? You said these trials were to test my physical abilities, Limiters shouldn't be anywhere near these grounds!" The professor's voice would be heard over the speakers as she chuckled darkly, the sounds of papers crumpling further agitating him.

 _"You fool, do you honestly believe that the Nova are your only enemies, the Pandora of the other schools would no doubt consider you a freak of nature..some of the more petulant ones might even try to attack you with their Limiters."_  

She would let out an uncharacteristic giggle as her project continued to growl like a rabid beast, an idea suddenly coming to mind as she cut off the intercom and turned to her lab techs with a cruel smile. "Patch me through to the isolation room, and tell our puppet that it's showtime. If force won't rattle his chains free, then perhaps we need to hit him a little closer to home" She would turn back to find the remaining Pandora all taking deliberately slow and shallow shots at him with their weapons, with the exception of Hana who was busy prying a ring off of Abel's hand.

"Wow this looks pretty pricey. Nothing says I can't kick your ass AND go home rich!" She would admire the rose-colored gem sitting pretty atop the silver band, even letting out a small whistle as she took note of the inscription on the inside of it "Cor Fortium..? What in the heck does that mean anyway?"

One of the other Limiter's would perk up suddenly, dashing to the front to inspect the ring closely. "It means "Brave Heart" in Latin, clearly somebody thinks very highly of our odd friend here." The tawny-haired Limiter in question would kneel down to look at Abel excitedly, the gleam in his eyes was one borne out of curiosity rather than greed. "Pardon me, but can I ask where you got such a fancy ring?"

Abel's eyes would glisten with the threat of tears as he remembered the face of the woman who had given him the ring in question, his teeth gritting harder as he tried to break free of the Freezing. "I got it…from the daughter of the person who saved my life!"

His mind would flash back to the image of a smiling Violet L. Bridget presenting him with the ring earlier that evening, even though the then autumn-haired boy was confused as to why he was receiving it in the first place.

* * * * *

"It's been seven years since our Father adopted you into the family, and I thought you should have something to commemorate the occasion!" Violet's eyes would shimmer with happiness as she gently slid the ring onto Abel's finger, winking as her reflection shone in its jewel. "And besides, there may be a day where you decide to leave us and spread your wings as you fly across this great big world so..I wanted you to have something to remember us by." Her eyes would briefly glisten with tears before hugging the boy tightly despite the latter's confused and quickly blushing face, sure Violet adored her other younger brother Louis, and the addition of her new stepsister only heightened the joy she was currently feeling. But the connection she shared with Abel was a close one, immediately taking the boy under her wing and doing her best to make his life a happy one even before his adoption was officially underway.

"Aww c'mon sis I'm not exactly ready to leave the nest at all right now. Besides with Satella and Miss Noelle under our roof you need all the help you can get." The boy would given an even brighter smile before hugging his older sister tightly, fully believing that at the time that he could do good by those who saved him. It was the reason why he had decided to visit Satellizer's room that night, he had planned to show her the ring and make the same promise that Violet had made him on his first night as a member of the family: Though we may not be bound together by blood, my heart is always with you. No matter where you go, we will always be family.

"Satella, my little Satella..such a good girl." Alarm bells would immediately go off in his head upon hearing the voice of his brother Louis L. Bridget, he had seen the treatment that the boy had levied upon his own half-sister: from the cruelest of verbal mud slung, to even witnessing the young man riding Satella like a horse at one point. Back then Violet had intervened before Abel could properly react and defend his half-sister, but as Abel looked into the room and saw Louis moving his hand under Satellizer's nightgown and knowing that by the time he found Violet and brought her back it would be far too late. It fell to him to react and protect his family, although for a crime of this magnitude a simple scolding was far from the punishment he deserved.

"You monster!" Throwing the door open quickly, he would leap onto Louis and nail him with a right cross before either sibling could react to his presence. He would continue hitting his so-called brother as hard as he could, even ignoring Satella's screams for him to stop. "You filthy pig! Violating your own family like this-" Abel's angered ranting would be cut off as Louis kicked him off and glared down at the boy, kicking him in the ribs violently.

"But she's not my family, just like you're no brother of mine!" He would continue kicking at the downed young man until reaching over and retrieving the lamp from Satellizer's nightstand and holding it above his head with a crazed look on his face. "You're just some stray dog my father took pity on, just like she's the daughter of my father's WHORE! She deserves to be used, which is what I'm going to do after I put you down mongrel!"

Abel would close his eyes tightly, awaiting the final blow and the end of his happier life. But that blow would never come, and upon opening his eyes he would find Violet standing over Louis who was now sporting a fresh red handprint on his cheek. "Vio-let.." He would try and reach out to her, catching sight of the gift she had given him before the pain of his injuries caused him to double over in agony. "Sorry…"

When he came to the next day, Violet would be sitting at his bedside with a somber look upon her face. It was the kind of look that said "I wish I didn't have to do this"

"Abel..Satellizer told me everything that happened, and while I appreciate you stepping in when you did..I don't think it would be right for you to stay with us anymore." The usually dazzling shimmer that he had gotten used to seeing in Violet's eyes was long gone, replaced with a lifeless look as she watched him begin to remove the ring "Don't. That ring is rightfully yours, just because we're sending you away doesn't mean that our promise is broken." She would squeeze his hand gently as the two of them just looked at one another in silent understanding, thanks to Howard's connections he would be placed in one of the lesser known Academies and eventually fall under Parcé Ciel's supervision.

* * * * *

Abel would snarl as Hana continued to prance around him, occasionally waving it in his face just to taunt him. "I swear, as God is my witness I will slice that ring from your shriveled monkey's paw before I beat you bloody with HER leg!" He would glare at a red-headed Pandora who wore her crimson locks in pigtails, he would get a dumbfounded look in response as she had done little to actually hurt him once the Freezing areas were in place. "That ring was given to me by someone I love more than life itself, it's not some silly little trinket you can dick around with!" Unbeknownst to him, a rose-colored aura would be building up around him even as the professor looked on in amazement as her creation was finally getting serious.

"Professor Ciel, Stigmata Activity is increasing at an alarming rate! If this continues, his body might burn out!" The balding scientist nearest to her left would watch the readings with a nervous look upon his brow, the numbers steadily rising as fast a speedometer would when paired with a lead-footed driver. "Shouldn't we apply the dampeners and pull back the Pandora and Limiters?"

The woman would shake her head visibly as she noticed the anger boiling to the surface, her expression morphing to one of manic glee as her Pandora continued to taunt the young man. _"Now Abel, let it loose..show me that determination which has allowed you to come this far!"_ Out of the corner of her eye, she would see the white-coated man beginning to punch in the commands to activate the room's power dampening fields and essentially put a halt to the breakthrough they were about to witness. Quickly grabbing a pen from the man's desk she would then proceed to violently stab him in the jugular, ignoring the horrified screams of the other scientists before pulling his assistant in closer.

"Monitor those numbers or suffer the same fate as your boss!" She would snarl as a roar of defiance could be heard from below, drawing her attention back to the combat area as Abel slowly began to stand despite the Freezing fields he was placed in.

Hana would watch on in horror mid-prance as her prey stood tall, a detestable aura blanketing him like a protective cloak, the others would each exchange looks of horror and words of shock as the Freezing fields began to shatter. "Wh-what the Hell? What kind of monster can withstand SIX Freezing fields?!" The brunette would deploy her mace once again, only for him to hold out his hand silently.

"Volt Weapon. Deploy!" A scythe would appear in his outstretched hand just as he made a sweeping gesture with it, effectively severing the Pandora's arms from her body and shocking the other Pandora into action as they charged into attack. "Sangré Rose, help me reap vengeance!" Abel would spin his scythe once before countering the attacks as he repelled their assault with a newborn ferocity while Parcé watched on as giddy as a child on Christmas morning, twitching with excitement as the Pandora collapsed one by one and eventually even attempting to turn on their limiters as well.

"Activate the dampeners and deploy the medics, our mission has finally been accomplished at long last, he's managed to tap into the power of the Eden Sync Stigmata and release his Volt Weapon!" The platinum-haired scientist would watch as Abel retrieved his treasured ring from Hana's severed finger and begin wiping off the blood thoroughly. "And to think, all it took was some tiny little trinket to unleash his rage completely."


	2. What makes a man?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abel reminisces on the past with his head in the clouds  
> Satellizer has her present grounded in a startling Carnival loss

Abel could barely remember life before the L. Bridget manor, the head of the family: A wealthy businessman named Howard L. Bridget had taken the boy off of the streets on a bitterly cold and rainy day, in the beginning he had only intended to shelter him until Abel's family could be located but upon hearing the young man's sad tale of being purposely abandoned by his father after losing a knife fight with his twin brother Cain.

 _"I told father, that brothers shouldn't fight..and..well."_  He remembered pointing to the scar that extended past his left eye with a bitter sob, before Howard could go to comfort the boy Abel would smack himself harshly while gritting his teeth and enduring the pain.  _"Before I was tossed out Father said to remember the pain of this mark, it proves your weakness as a man who is unwilling to fight is unfit to be called a man at all!"_  As the young man was readying himself for another blow, Howard would embrace the child in a hug his own father had no doubt denied the boy growing up. Even as the young man broke down into a fit of sobs and embraced the businessman as best he could, Abel still felt the need to punish himself even still.

 _"Your father was incorrect, it takes more than brute strength to make a boy into a man. A true man stands by his convictions and uses his strength to defend those who can't fight."_  Howard would stand up slowly, placing his hand upon the young man's shoulder and giving him a loving smile. "We men always put the safety of our family above all else, even our own desires." Howard would waste little time in having a private investigator look into Abel's family, and after it was revealed that they were in fact a traveling troupe of jewel thieves they were promptly arrested mid-heist

"I should've been shuffled off into the system with the rest of the unwanted children, but my new father saw fit to protect me and even bring me into his own home." The rose-haired young man could still remember the butterflies in his stomach as he hid behind Howard's leg when the introductions were being made, Olivia (the lady of the house) was busy doting over her younger son Louis and giving him the tiniest bits of acknowledgement while his daughter Violet would look at him with fresh eyed curiosity.  _"It's alright Abel, come and say hello to your new family."_

The young boy would squeak in surprise before letting go of Howard's leg and stepping forward to give a proper bow to his new mother and siblings. _"H-hello..my name is Abel, I-it's an honor to meet you all, and thank you for letting me be a part of your family."_  He would gulp audibly as the nerves began getting the better of him, and while Olivia would give him the chilliest of stares before returning to doting on her Louis but Violet would give him a radiant smile before racing down to meet him and give him a big hug.

 _"Oooh I'm so happy to have another brother in the family! It's going to be great having you with us Abel!"_  Whatever nerves he had been feeling at the time were slowly washed away as he slowly retuned her hug, it reminded him of his new father in a way: Sure there was strength and exuberance behind it all but he could feel a warmth at the center of it all, she wouldn't be like the others in his life who sought to exploit him and use him as a puppet for their own gains.

* * * * *

"Wake up Abel you foolish boy!" His blissful sleep would be interrupted by a hard smack to the back of his head, rattling him back into the present and startling the Pandora across from him as Professor Ciel glared at her pet project. "Miss Phenyl has done us a gracious service by joining us on the plane ride back to West Genetics and the least you can do is show her a modicum of respect." She would lean back in her seat with an annoyed expression upon her face as Abel shook off the remainder of the cobwebs and faced the raven-haired Pandora in question.

 _"Shit now I remember: Miss Ticy was the one to meet us outside the base when the carrier helicopter landed, apparently I'm not the only knucklehead who transferred into West Genetics mid-term."_ Abel would look to the silent girl whose face was somewhat mortified by the professor's harsh treatment and immediately show off a calm smile, more for her benefit then his own as he watched her slowly sigh in relief. "You'll have to forgive the Professor, like most eggheads she works insanely long hours with very little sleep and is very cranky when denied her coffee." His smile would morph into a very cheeky grin despite feeling the older woman's furious gaze upon him, meanwhile Ticy would start to giggle slightly at his improved mood before looking down at his transfer papers.

"Hmm, this would make you the second boy I know named Abel. Funny how our world works isn't?" She would laugh nervously as her attempt at small talk seemed to fall on deaf ears, the white coated woman angrily gesturing for her to "hurry up" while the rose-haired boy seemed taken aback by her words entirely. "I-I mean because of my Limiter you see, h-he's named Abel too a-and you're named Abel so…" Her heart would sink slightly as her explanation of the jest only served to make the atmosphere between them all even more awkward, only to hear Abel sigh in disappointment.

"So what you're tell me is that not only is there another guy named Abel already at my new school, but he's already gone and snagged himself the prettiest Pandora there too?" He would give a more exaggerated sigh of disappointment this time before winking in her direction and causing her to blush in embarrassment as she hid behind the paperwork, relaxing in his seat before looking at her with a serious expression. "Although in all seriousness Miss Ticy, I'm well aware of West Genetics could teach me: I know that Pandora are trained to fight the Nova, creatures that we have very little information on: Where they come from, why they're attacking us. But what's really bothering me is why West Genetics accepted my transfer request when every other Genetics Academy turned me away, not that I'm complaining." He would see the professor rolling her eyes in disgust at the obvious answer to his question, as she figured it was down to the L. Bridget family's influence (or to be more specific, the patriarch of the family himself.) since he already had a child in their care.

Ticy would still be a blushing mess even as she looked past the paperwork and a good look at the young man himself, noting that he wore a modified version of the Genetics Academy uniform from a branch she didn't recognize. "Well ya see, we've been getting reports of your…unique circumstances. Never in our history has a male with the abilities of a Pandora been heard of until lately, and Sister Margaret thought it would be prudent for you to learn in a more open environment then your current Academy setup." She would give him a friendly smile before looking down at the paperwork once again, analytical notes of his data readings only serving to confuse her. "Besides..isn't it lonely being the only big fish in a small pond?"

Abel would smile sadly at her words, wanting very much to tell her just what kind of "pond" he had been stuck in up to that point, but there was something about her that made him keep mum on the horrors that occurred in Marrakesh. "So tell me more about this Other Abel, any guy lucky enough to have you as a partner must be something special." The male Pandora would smile heartily as the raven-haired woman proceeded to blush in embarrassment at his flirtatious tone. 

Parcé would scoff at the Pandora's jests as she observed the pair now conversing over meaningless subjects like the weather and even her own Limiter, the other boy known as Abel. _"There's no point to my Incubus being put in with normal Pandora and Limiters. Friendship, lovers, stability..none of these should matter to a weapon such as him."_ She would return her gaze to the footage from the last test run, smiling gleefully as she watched her pet project tear through the other Pandora with a cold, merciless expression on his face. " _The time on your reign of terror as the leading expert in Pandora Research is ticking down to zero dear Gengo Aoi!"_

_* * * * *_

For Satellizer L. Bridget the Carnival was just another excuse for her to let loose and prove her abilities to her fellow Pandora, and for the fair-haired woman it was child's play as she raced through the combat area and dismantling any unfortunate soul who had been stupid enough to try and fight her. Eventually it had come down to a one-on-one fight between herself and a Pandora known as Ganessa Roland (a.k.a. the Angel of Binding) and under normal circumstances that would have been the end of it as she would've left with the title of top-ranked second year Pandora, unfortunately the appearance of a newcomer would derail any hopes of such a thing happening. Ganessa had pinned her down with her Chains of Binding and cemented her place at the top of the Second Years, leaving Satella injured and now sitting in the infirmary as her eye was now being bandaged and the rest of her wounds being looked at.

"H-he touched me..but it didn't feel bad, not like back then." Her body would tremble at the memories of her brother Louis taking liberties with her body during the midnight hours, not even going to her mother had proven effective as Noelle Allongraich had her own hands full fighting a losing battle with illness. She still couldn't quite recall what had happened on the last night of her step-brother's violating visits, but she did remember someone- another boy busting through the door and stopping the madness, a rabid dog that had gotten free of its chain and proceeded to lay waste to her tormentor.

 _"Why..why can't I remember his face, his name?"_ Her mind would flash back to the night in question: Louis's hand moving far to close to her private area as his voice whispered words not meant for her virgin ears, the sound of the doors being flung open and the flash of blue sapphire out of the corner of her eye. _"I could try asking Violet but…no, the best thing I could do for everyone right now is to keep my distance. Maybe my injuries are actually getting the best of me."_ With her thoughts finally centered and the events of the Carnival behind her, Satellizer could finally focus on getting back to her regular studies as a Pandora. Being ranked second would do little to deter her from her goal of being the best and not losing to anyone to anyone, be it a stuck up Pandora like Ganessa who had gotten lucky due to somebody else's interference or a boy who had managed to touch her without making her skin crawl in repulsion.

As for the one who had finally been able to save her from Louis's lecherous advances, well there was a reason she considered herself an L. Bridget in name alone.

**Author's Note:**

> It bugs me that so little fics have been done for Freezing on this site.  
> Hell out of the handful here, three of them are mine and (with the exception of Trauma Train) none of 'em stick to the world-building of the series.
> 
> Stay tuned folks, cuz we're going for a ride.


End file.
